Head of Cancer Center Strategy and Research Operations

Position Summary

Attain Partners is seeking a Managing Director to help lead the continued growth of its clinical consulting practice, with a particular focus on academic and comprehensive cancer centers. This individual will bring established relationships with cancer center executives, a deep understanding of cancer center strategy and operations, and the ability to translate client challenges into meaningful, measurable consulting engagements.

This is a senior role combining market development, client relationship leadership, consulting delivery, and practice building. The Managing Director will cultivate relationships with cancer center directors, executive directors, chief administrative officers, deputy directors, clinical enterprise leaders, and other senior decision-makers. The individual will also lead and contribute to client engagements addressing clinical research operations, research administration, financial performance, organizational design, technology enablement, compliance, and operational transformation.

The successful candidate will be a recognized and credible cancer center leader who can engage executives as a peer, identify needs that may not yet be fully defined, and mobilize Attain’s capabilities to address them. This person must be equally comfortable developing new business, advising senior leadership, and taking direct accountability for high-quality project delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Expand Attain’s relationships with academic, NCI-designated, and other leading cancer centers.
• Leverage an established professional network to create access to cancer center directors, executive directors, chief administrative officers, clinical enterprise leaders, and other executive decision-makers.
• Develop trusted-advisor relationships with cancer center leadership by bringing relevant insight, practical experience, and an informed perspective on emerging operational challenges.
• Identify and qualify opportunities across cancer center strategy, clinical research operations, research administration, financial performance, technology, and organizational transformation.
• Lead business-development activities from initial relationship development through opportunity shaping, proposal development, contracting, and transition to delivery.
• Represent Attain at cancer center leadership meetings, industry associations, conferences, webinars, and other external forums.
• Develop thought leadership and market-facing content that strengthens Attain’s visibility and credibility within the cancer center community.
• Maintain accountability for annual sales, pipeline-development, and client-expansion objectives.
• Advise cancer center leaders on organizational structure, governance, operating models, workforce strategy, performance improvement, and clinical research infrastructure.
• Maintain direct accountability for project quality, client satisfaction, financial performance, and the achievement of defined outcomes.
• Support the development of methodologies, assessment tools, implementation frameworks, benchmarks, and reusable intellectual capital.
• Mentor consulting team members and strengthen the team’s understanding of cancer center leadership priorities and decision-making processes.
• Contribute to resource planning, engagement staffing, recruiting, and the development of additional cancer center expertise.
• Promote collaboration across Attain’s clinical consulting, research administration, technology, data, and transformation capabilities.

Qualifications

Required

• Minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible experience in cancer center administration, clinical research operations, healthcare consulting, or a closely related field.
• Significant leadership experience within an academic, NCI-designated, comprehensive, or similarly complex cancer center.
• Prior experience in a role such as cancer center executive director, chief administrative officer, deputy director, associate director for administration, chief operating officer, clinical research executive, or comparable leadership position.
• Established relationships with senior cancer center leaders and demonstrated engagement in relevant professional networks.
• Deep understanding of the strategic, operational, financial, and organizational challenges facing cancer centers.
• Demonstrated ability to develop executive relationships and convert organizational needs into funded initiatives or consulting engagements.
• Experience leading complex operational assessments, transformation initiatives, or implementation efforts.
• Ability to communicate credibly with physicians, scientists, administrators, institutional executives, and operational teams.
• Strong executive presence, facilitation skills, written communication, and presentation capabilities.
• Willingness and ability to travel based on client and business-development needs.

Preferred

• Active participation or leadership in organizations such as the Association of American Cancer Institutes, Association of Cancer Center Administrators, Association of Cancer Care Centers, or related cancer center leadership networks.
• Advanced degree in healthcare administration, business administration, public health, research administration, science, medicine, or a related field.

Additional Requirements:

• Demonstrated ability to build trusted advisor relationships with clients
• Experience supporting sales and business development
• Position requires flexibility to travel periodically based on business and client needs

Additional Information

Attain Partners values your mental, emotional, and physical health and wellbeing. Our comprehensive benefits package starts on your first day of employment and includes benefits such as:

• Competitive health, dental, and vision coverage, HSA and FSA accounts, life and disability insurance, fertility and family planning benefits, and employee assistance and discount programs
• 11 paid federal holidays and flexible unlimited time off (UTO)
• Generous 401(k) matching with immediate vesting
• Flexible career paths – our career tracks provide advancement, mobility, and flexibility as you continue to grow with us
• A healthy environment where we value unique experiences, and care about everything that makes you, you.

Attain Partners is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. Individual compensation will be commensurate with experience, education, and skills.